A Favor
by IRead2MuchManga99
Summary: Before committing the act that would make him infamous, Itachi asks his mentor for a favor. A favor that sees his brother taken in by someone he trusts.
1. Chapter 1

Kakashi tapped his foot impatiently as he waited at the memorial stone. He was leaning against a tree nonchalantly spinning a kunai with his finger by the ring on the end of it. A few teams had tried to use the training ground but a sharp glare from Kakashi to their Jonin had sent them away. Kakashi's reputation was well earned and it was an unspoken rule that no one try to use the training field when he was in it. The only one that ever broke the rule was Gai. That was simply because he could handle Kakashi and got his training in either way.

Still Kakashi glanced at the sun and saw it beginning its descent. Maybe he deserved to have to wait for someone to show up after all the times he kept his on ANBU team waiting at the gate for a mission. Still he only did that on simple missions, things that weren't important in the long run and were usually used to test new recruits. Border patrols and the like were beneath someone who was easily top level within the ANBU. This had sounded important though and he had made the effort to come here early.

"Taicho." The ANBU member appeared slightly to the left of the memorial stone in the telltale signs of a Shunshin. "I apologize for keeping you waiting."

"It's fine Itachi-chan. I'll just take it out on you in training tomorrow morning." Kakashi straightened himself out as he took a few steps towards his young subordinate. "Now explain why your crow called me here."

"Yes Kakashi-taicho." Itachi seemed to take a deep breath before continuing. "I need your help. I can't take care of all of this. Danzo is playing his own game. Hokage-sama isn't moving fast enough. Tou-san isn't thinking straight."

Kakashi simply stared as Itachi let it all out. Everything that had he had tried so hard to keep to himself for close to a year now was spilling out. He either couldn't control it or didn't want to. He revealed everything to the silver haired Jonin. Kakashi simply stood in silence as he listened. There were no shocked gasps or requests to repeat something as if saying it again would either confirm or deny whether it was true or not. Never once interrupting or criticizing Itachi. This was something the boy was bearing for more than a year now. He couldn't possibly begin to understand what he had gone through. Itachi's voice was laced with pain and regret in equal helpings as he told it all to Kakashi.

"Then my best friend died. He left me his eyes and that was it. Nothing else." Itachi leaned against the memorial stone as the sheer gravity of everything caught up to him.

"Is there anything else Itachi?" Kakashi asked as he took a few steps towards the obviously suffering Uchiha. "I don't think that's everything."

"Danzo gave me an ultimatum. Either let his agents kill the entire clan or for me to do it with me only being allowed to spare Sasuke." Trembling hands took off his ANBU mask as he simply let it fall to the forest floor before placing his face in his hands. "Shisui told me to protect the clan but all I can do now is all but destroy it."

"Itachi I need you to tell me what you need to. I don't doubt that I can take Danzo but it all depends on what information you can give me." Kakashi laid a comforting hand on the young man's shoulder.

"No taicho. It's too late for that. The ultimatum expires in the morning. No matter what I do it'll end only one way."

"Itachi I can rally some ANBU, stop Danzo's men."

"Kakashi I came here to ask you two favors before I do it."

"What?" Kakashi couldn't deny the boy. What he was about to do was something Kakashi couldn't truly believe had been planned within the village so many of his comrades fought and died for.

"Take in Sasuke. Take him in and protect him. Protect him from Danzo. Protect him from those who wish to use him. Protect him from the rumors that will spread. Just keep him safe." Itachi was practically, no he was, begging Kakashi to take in his brother. "I can't let them take him. This will…this will. What I do tonight will destroy him. He'll never be the same again."

"Itachi I…" Kakashi couldn't take someone in. It would simply end like it always did. With them dead and him alive to suffer knowing he had failed them.

"It has to be you taicho. You are the only one who I can trust to teach Sasuke what he needs once he unlocks his sharingan and the only one I can trust to keep whatever I tell you secret."

"I will tell Hokage-sama if I have to Itachi."

"That is of no concern to me. I just want Sasuke to be safe."

"He'll be exposed to Gai a lot. I'm remaining a bachelor though. Some kid isn't going to tie me down."

Itachi smiled. It didn't reach his eyes but it served to somewhat lighten the mood.

"I wouldn't expect anything less taicho."

"Now what about the second favor, you said there were two right?"

"Yes." A grim nod followed as Itachi summoned a crow. "I need you to get my best friend's other eye back from Danzo."

"I always enjoy messing up Danzo's little plans. I take it the crow has his other."

"Yes. I want you to have something to base it on. They will respond to one another." The crow perched itself on Kakashi's shoulder as it turned its head to look at him with its mix matched eyes.

"We could be twins. The only downside is now the scarecrow jokes will pick up."

"I apologize taicho."

"No worries Itachi."

"Thank you taicho."

"Now," He offered a hand to Itachi and pulled him to his feet once he accepted it. "I'll set out to reclaim your friend's eye and meet you back here in an hour at most. That'll give us plenty of time to arrange the last few details."

"I shall await your return here taicho." Itachi bowed.

Kakashi didn't say another word before he left his fellow ANBU alone with the memorial stone.

* * *

Kakashi returned less than an hour later with a much bloodier uniform than before as he set the vial down in front of Itachi.

"He was about to get it implanted. I had to stop the surgeon with more force than I thought. Guess I lost control for a second too because the next thing I know I'm tearing through the base on my way out."

"I'm simply glad it is out of his grasps taicho."

"Well I'm going to let Pakkun keep it for now. He's trustworthy. Besides the lot of them will probably be around Sasuke more than me."

"As long as he is safe. The crow will stay with you. I've given him something to stay in this world as long as he needs to. The crows have even agreed to allow you to sign their contract."

"I'll take you up on it."

"Thank you for this Kakashi-taicho." Itachi slowly rose to his feet as the suns light slowly faded.

"Itachi I know you're doing this because you love your brother but know that I will train him to come after you. I will personally come after you. I won't go easy on you because of what you told either. I won't tell a soul without your or Hokage-sama's permission though unless I deem it important enough to do so."

"Hai taicho. I'm sorry it came to this. I'm sorry I have to do this to you."

"No worries I've been through worse in my time." Kakashi didn't even believe his own words.

* * *

Kakashi should have been asleep. Tonight should be the same as any other night. He would get a few hours of sleep before his usual dreams woke him up and then he would spend the rest of the night training until he was due to report in. Try as he might though he couldn't. He knew what was going to happen and he wasn't powerless to stop it. He could go and knock Itachi out before he even knew he was there. He could prevent their deaths tonight at Itachi's hands and hand him over to the Hokage or ANBU. He had thought of doing something like it until he had raided Danzo's lab. Until he had seen what the man had planned for the Uchiha. He wasn't going to kill them all. He would keep some to raise an army of Sharingan users loyal only to him. Not the village, Hokage, a clan head, or anyone else. Just him.

Kakashi could save them from death and damn the survivors of Danzo's own massacre to hell. He couldn't do that. He might hate himself some nights for not doing anything to stop Itachi but it was better than what Danzo had planned. Itachi was doing this with a heavy heart to save his little brother. Danzo would've done it to see himself gain another army loyal only to him. He would see to Danzo later. He would give him a warning on what exactly would happen should he try anything similar. He wasn't afraid to kill one of the Hokage's advisors like Itachi was. He had served under Danzo and left in disgust once he saw how corrupted his views had become. During wartime the man's beliefs would be perfect but during peace they would simply lead to genocides.

Still tonight he would be allowing a slaughter to happen. He tried rationalize it by telling himself that it was one slaughter in exchange for what Danzo could do. He wouldn't stop at killing one clan and would simply repeat the process with every clan until he had all the kekkai genkai of Konoha under his control or wiped out entirely if that proved impossible.

Kakashi's thoughts turned to the other people he had let die. His teammates and sensei were probably looking at him in disgust. He was allowing Obito's entire family to die when he could stop it. A small part of his mind tried to remind him how none of the Uchiha had liked Obito in the first place but that part was quickly silenced by the images of children in clothes with the Uchiha symbol on the back. He started thinking about all the people who would be affected by this. The landslide of grief going from one person to another as he was buried under the guilt of it all.

Kakashi put on his mask and waited for the call he knew would be coming tonight. He pushed everything else from his mind. The faces of his teammates and the Uchiha he passed when he was out. He simply focused on his coming mission.

* * *

Kakashi was the first to arrive on the scene. The carnage around him brought what he knew to be true to the front of his mind. He had just let his fellow shinobi and citizens of Konoha be killed by one of their own. No matter how many times he told himself that this was the right thing to do he still had trouble swallowing it. The sheer idea was still repulsive to him but it was better than the alternative. With this outcome at least an Uchiha survived in the village. He saw Itachi give one last look at his brother even as the bodies littered the streets and chose that moment to appear at Sasuke's side. He gave the now missing-nin Uchiha a slight nod as he checked Sasuke's pulse.

Itachi didn't respond with anything but instead took off. Already heading towards the wall to escape the village after what he had done. Kakashi made several shadow clones as he had one go to ANBU headquarters and Hokage to report this while the others began to gather the bodies of the fallen Uchiha. Itachi had been quick and efficient. He hadn't killed anyone brutally and instead killed them as quickly as he could. With quick and precise movements. It even looked like he used fast acting poison to give a quick and painless death to many. He must have slipped it into their food. Kakashi debated on what exactly to do with the bodies even as ANBU began appearing in the district along with Jonin.

He looked around at their varied reactions to the slaughter. The most hardened ANBU showed nothing but he knew they would seek some sort of comfort after tonight. Either from someone else or from drinking until they passed out. Jonin looked around with varying levels of disgust and Kakashi could see some of them lead away the more curious of Chunin as they lost their stomachs at the sight of the slaughter. His eyes found the green fashion monstrosity that was Gai as he seemed to take it all better than others. He didn't have his usual enthusiasm but he managed to command enough people to follow him on a search party for Itachi.

Some of his comrades found him kneeling next to Sasuke and instantly they began asking questions.

"Taicho what happened here?" Yamato asked the question on everyone's mind.

"The entire Uchiha clan was killed except for two. This one here and the perpetrator himself."

'And I knew about the whole thing and didn't do a damn thing to stop it.' Kakashi kept his thoughts to himself as it would simply end with his own arrest and execution as a collaborator leaving Sasuke alone and at the mercies of Danzo.

"Who could've taken out the entire clan like this? In a single night at that."

"Uchiha Itachi. I only arrived on the scene quick enough to see him leave. I prioritized finding survivors over going after him. This was the only one I found."

"What are we going to do with him taicho?" Yamato asked him as he stared at the child on the ground.

"I'll look after him. Maybe try to find out what he knows about what set his brother off."

"Brother? You mean his brother did all of this?" a shocked and repulsed Yamato questioned.

"Yeah. You don't remember Itachi talking about Sasuke. The kid practically worshiped the ground his older brother walked on. He might not have any physical wounds but he damn sure has some mental ones." An ANBU who had been on a number of missions with Itachi answered him.

'Ones I can relate to.' Kakashi left that part unsaid as well as he didn't need a pity party.

Hiruzen chose that moment to arrive, having been transported by the Hokage Guard Platoon. Hiruzen had barely surveyed the carnage around him before he collapsed to his knees in front of the ANBU. Several younger ones would have moved towards him but stopped when hands of the seniors gripped them. They simply shook their heads as the Hokage Guard Platoon quickly stepped away from him to allow him some measure of privacy on the ANBU crowded street.

Sarutobi Hiruzen, the Sandaime Hokage and the man who had seen and led the village through the Shinobi World Wars, wept for the tragedy Kakashi could have stopped.

Kakashi couldn't stand himself in that moment and used a Shunshin to take the boy away from the carnage and to the hospital. He got him checked in and returned home as fast as he could. He ripped off his mask and flung it on the floor. He blindly made his way to his bathroom before he lost his stomach and spent the next several minutes puking. He caught his reflection in the mirror and almost threw up again. He fists hit the mirror and he didn't care when it came away bloody. His single reflection became hundreds as he attacked the mirror again and again. Leaving bloody marks on the wall was the last thing on his mind.

He shattered every mirror in his home before he crumpled to the floor. Too numb to do anything else but stare at the picture on his nightstand.

* * *

 **AN : Well I admit the beginning seems a little rough to me, but other than that this is something that won't leave me alone so here it is. Hope you enjoyed it and any feedback is welcomed.**


	2. Chapter 2

**AN : Enjoy this one.**

* * *

Kakashi walked into the hospital with the powerful smell of disinfectant hitting his nose even through his mask. He clenched his self-bandaged hand as he made his way through the reception area and no one dared to try and stop him as was common when a uniformed ANBU visited. Procedure and formality were done away with in the presence of a black ops member. He only had one stop in mind anyway, no matter how much he was dreading actually reaching it. He couldn't excuse himself with the fact that he simply couldn't find the boy as he simply had to follow the ANBU guard to find him. Usually police would be doing this job but the events of last night saw a change in protocol. Chunin just couldn't be trusted to keep their mouths sealed either. As always when the village was pressed for something it looked to the ANBU.

"Is he awake yet?" Kakashi questioned an ANBU standing guard at the entrance to the trauma ward. His response was a shake of the black ops member's head.

"Docs are keeping him sedated for now. No telling what he'll do when he wakes up anyway."

"Who's watching the room then?"

"It's Yamato's shift."

"I guess I'm not needed then. Let me know when he wakes up."

"I'll relay the message sir."

Kakashi nodded to the ANBU and got out as quickly as he could from the hospital while looking as nonchalant as he could. The boy was asleep and he wouldn't be telling anyone anything anytime soon. Kakashi's feet carried him to the memorial stone as usual except this time the place wasn't empty. He would have recognized the green monstrosity from a mile away but this time Gai seemed different. His face was grim as he gazed at the freshly modified stone and as Kakashi came to stand next to him he made no outward acknowledgement of his presence. His eyes might have flickered over to look at him but Kakashi wasn't entirely sure about it.

The two men simply stood staring at the stone and its fresh offering of flowers. Kakashi idly wondered if the Yamanaka would be the only ones with a positive view of the Massacre before banishing the thoughts from his head. He might see the dark benefit to something like this but he wasn't a Yamanaka and he doubted any of them shared his mindset. Yamanaka rarely made it as ANBU simply because they were all too compassionate. Asking a Yamanaka to join the ANBU was asking them to kill a part of themselves. Not many could do it. Even fewer could live with it for long.

"That was something different last night Kakashi." Gai finally spoke. Turning his head slightly to regard his longtime friend and rival. "Neither you or I have ever seen something like that before."

"You're right. What Itachi did was unforgivable." Kakashi added.

'What I'm doing right now is even worse. I'm vilifying him along with everyone else when I know the truth.'

"I don't understand what could drive someone to do something like that." Gai shook his head at it all still in disbelief. "I mean I know Itachi was different but he never seemed that far gone."

"You never know what can be the final straw for someone like Itachi."

'Like someone giving him the option to save his little brother and kill the rest of the clan or sign his death warrant himself.'

"Hm. Should I be watching you now then?"

"I'm fine Gai."

"You look so unyouthful though Kakashi!" Gai's usual boisterous attitude had returned it seemed.

"I'm fine Gai." Kakashi tried to reassure his friend but he could see the fire in the taijutsu master's eyes. He already knew what he would say next.

"How about a challenge then? Let's see who can make a full circuit around the village and get back here first." Gai flashed Kakashi his classic Nice Guy pose, thumbs up and a smile that seemed to have an unnatural shine to it. "And if you beat me I shall…"

"How about no penalty games Gai." Kakashi stopped his friend before he could say something only he could do. "Let's just make this a friendly wager. Loser has to buy the winner lunch or something."

"Alright let's start then!" Gai's enthusiasm wasn't lowered as he continued leading Kakashi through the village.

Kakashi followed Gai away from the memorial with a shake of his head but with a smile on his face. He was glad that something was still the same even after the events of last night. Gai's normal exuberance would be needed now more than ever. Kakashi thought that Gai knew it too as he went out of his way to say hi to the people he knew and some he didn't. He was trying to raise the spirits of the entire village at least a little and that was no small challenge after the events of last night.

"The best choice is a race, say the first one to the top of the Hokage Mountain."

"From the village gates like usual?"

"Of course."

A squad of ANBU dropping down in front of them killed their plans. Kakashi recognized them as the ones assigned to guard the Hokage and could already guessed why they were here.

"Hokage-sama summons you taicho." One in an eagle mask spoke.

"Immediately?"

The ANBU simply nodded and Kakashi turned to Gai.

"I'm sorry about this but duty calls."

"It's fine Kakashi. We'll simply postpone our challenge."

"Let's get everyone together tonight at the usual spot. We can all catch up there."

"Ah. A youthful gathering of our generation!" Gai smiled and have Kakashi a thumbs up. "I can think of nothing better."

"Alright then." Kakashi gave Gai a small wave and turned to the ANBU. "Alright lets go."

The 5 person squad took to the rooftops then and Gai himself watched them go only for a moment before taking his own leave. Intent on tracking down the others in under an hour. If he couldn't do that then he would complete his next border patrol running on his hands with added weights.

* * *

Kakashi didn't bother entering the Hokage's office the regular way as he preferred the window anyway. ANBU didn't have to sign in at the desk and he always took advantage of the privilege. Hiruzen was at his desk as usual seeing to the running of the village and giving scrolls to messengers to reorganize the forces after such a substantial loss. Many of them were no doubt going to the ANBU and hunter squads. The village needed to be secured and Itachi needed to be captured. Kakashi waited a few minutes before Hiruzen noticed him and ordered the messengers away, gesturing for Kakashi to take a seat. He caught the hidden signal that dismissed the ANBU from the room and barely caught their movement as they did so.

"Your report…" Hiruzen began, leaving the sentence open.

"Yes I requested to speak with you."

"That along with the very brief summary of events leads me to believe that you have something crucial to tell me."

"I know everything." Those three words didn't make Hiruzen react like he thought it would. He simply drew his pipe from his robes and began smoking from it.

"I didn't believe Itachi would say anything. He came to visit me last night. Asking me to protect Sasuke from Danzo and asking if I gave the order."

"I know you didn't."

"If you know then that means that Itachi most likely asked of you the same he did of me."

"I swore I would."

"I'll arrange everything to place him under your care. You'll have control over the maintenance of the compound and the Uchiha funds until he comes of age."

"My father left me enough money."

"Then see to it that he doesn't spend everything then."

"Is there anything else Sarutobi."

"No. Just go and see to the boy. Keep him and yourself under control."

"I'll see to it."

"Dismissed."

"By your leave."

Kakashi didn't waste any more time and left the office. Heading straight to his home. He could rest until nightfall and then go out to meet the others. Sasuke was under ANBU protection and he would be safe as long as he was in the hospital.

* * *

Kakashi should've been surprised when Yamato came barging into his home to inform him that Sasuke was missing. He wasn't. After calming his subordinate down he quickly set out to look for Sasuke himself. He knew exactly where the boy would be. The saying that great minds think alike could also be said for those who went through trauma. His feet barely made a sound as he landed at the quarantined Uchiha district. The guards on duty quickly rushed themselves in an attempt to salute him and fumbled with their weapons. Obviously they weren't taking the duty seriously.

"Relax." Kakashi held up a hand to stop them before they made bigger fools of themselves. "You guys see a kid go in there."

"No sir." One answered after sharing a look with the other and fixing his grip on his weapon. "Entry is currently forbidden and we've only turned away a few curious people since we've been on duty."

"Of course he wouldn't use the front." Kakashi said quietly to himself. He walked alongside the wall only holding up a hand in farewell. "As you were."

Kakashi used a Shunshin to appear in the center of the district where Sasuke's home had been and he wasn't surprised to find the tape blocking the building off torn off. At just the right height for a child as well. He walked inside the building with quick steps and began listening for where Sasuke could be. The unmistakable sounds of crying led him to what was no doubt his parents' bedroom. He knew exactly what that felt like.

Kakashi didn't waste another moment as he gathered the boy in his arms. His small fists beat against Kakashi chest in anger but his sobs told a different story.

"No! No! No! Tou-san! Kaa-san!" Sasuke cried out even as powerful sobs wracked through his body. He tried to get free of Kakashi's hold on him but Kakashi wouldn't let it happen. He knew what it was like to come back to a scene like this. How he found his father flashed in his mind and he tightened his grip on Sasuke. The boy's struggles dying down now.

Kakashi placed a soothing hand on Sasuke's back as he stared at the white tape. The tape might've only made an outline of where the bodies had lain but he didn't doubt that Sasuke saw the grisly scene all too well. His parents bleeding out on the ground with Itachi standing over them.

"I'm sorry Sasuke."

"Why did they have to die?! Why did Itachi do all of this?!"

"I don't know Sasuke." Kakashi deserved a place in the shinigami's stomach for lying to Sasuke. He knew exactly why everything had happened. Exactly why Sasuke's life was ruined. "I know that you're hurting Sasuke. That you don't want to feel anything anymore because everything hurts. Everything brings back memories of the good times." Kakashi slowly lowered himself and Sasuke to the ground before setting him on his own feet. Sasuke tried in vain to rub the tears out of his eyes as Kakashi placed a comforting hand on either shoulder. "I know Sasuke because I've been through this before. Everyone I know and love dying. Thinking why am I still alive when so many others have died? Why am I still here?" Kakashi looked down towards the floor. "I still don't know why but I do know that this pain your feeling hurts a hell of a lot worse than anything else. That you think that'll it never stop. That you'll always feel like this.

"I'm not going to tell you that everything is going to be fine. That you'll get over this in no time. I won't lie to you Sasuke." Kakashi already knew the hypocrisy of keeping the truth of the Uchiha demise from Sasuke and what he said but he wouldn't lie to the boy about anything else. "It will get better though. You'll find new people to love. To care for. To protect." Faces flashed through Kakashi's own mind as he swallowed the new lump in his throat. He somehow found it within himself to continue. "I know that you wished that you had been able to protect them. To stop him from doing all this." Kakashi swept an arm around them and Sasuke nodded his head. "Even though you can't change the past you can change the future. You have to be strong though. Not just for yourself but for everyone. You have to honor their memories.

"A wise hermit once told me something. The dead may be gone but, they aren't ever forgotten as long as we hold a place for them in our hearts. You might think you're doing them an honor by grieving for them for so long but the dead don't want the living to live like that. The people who you care for and that cared for you don't want you to become dead in all but name. They want you to live. To laugh. To play. To love. If you can't do that. Then you're not honoring them. Live. Live and remember. Tell stories. Have a few laughs. Then you're honoring them. You're showing them that you're still alive. That you still remember them but you won't destroy yourself over their passing. I know you won't get over this overnight Sasuke. I'm still not over what happened to me even though it was years ago. But it does get better. Things slowly become easier. Life goes on."

"I don't know what I want to do." Sasuke placed his hand over his heart. "This hurts. It hurts really bad."

"Sasuke I need you to trust me. At least so I can get you out of here. You need to go back to the hospital." At Kakashi's words Sasuke's face took on a look of panic. He would've broken away from Kakashi but Kakashi had gripped Sasuke by his arms and it was too tight for him to get free of. Still Sasuke struggled, when he couldn't get free he started vehemently shaking his head, his raven locks shaking wildly from the motion.

"I don't. The people there are all mean to me. I can hear them you know. They talk about me like I'm not there. They're happy that this happened."

Kakashi brought Sasuke in for another hug. Mostly for his own benefit so he didn't go to the hospital in a rage. The Hokage's orders had just been made void. Taking Sasuke back to the hospital would only worsen whatever he was feeling. Besides he would only go back to have a chat with several doctors and nurses. His **Rakiri** could be very convincing.

* * *

 **AN : So I feel like I should explain the conversation between Kakashi and Hiruzen. Some people might miss what I tried to do. Kakashi does not like Hiruzen right now. Hence why he's used just his last name to address him. I learned that it was a form of disrespect when I was looking into the honorifics for Rebirth of the Uzumaki and decided to use it here. The conversation was so short because Kakashi simply can't accept that Hiruzen knew nothing about the Massacre right now. He believes he has some grasp on how Danzo thinks and thus allowed the Massacre to happen by not acting.**

 **This of course could just be Kakashi blaming someone else for it instead of himself. The guilt he feels won't just go away easily. Kakashi just doesn't come across as that type of character in my eyes. He's still beating himself up over the deaths of his team and won't let the death of almost an entire clan land anywhere but squarely on his shoulders.**

 **I did like the moment between Sasuke and Kakashi though. Please let me know what you thought of it.**

 **Alright done. Hope you enjoyed it and any feedback is welcomed.**


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: Enjoy.**

* * *

Kakashi sat with Sasuke for who knows how long. He kept saying the names of those he lost over and over again. It was faint but he ANBU captain's advanced hearing could catch it. Each name drove its own spike into Kakashi's mind, forever embedding it there along with so many others he had failed. There was just so much he had done wrong. So much that weighed on him.

Still with Sasuke crying against his chest, he sat there.

They just sat there for what felt like hours. It probably was. Kakashi's internal clock wasn't something that wavered in situations like this. An ANBU always kept track of time. Sasuke's loud sobs had eventually died off but he could still feel the boy shaking in his grasp. The boys sobs and screams had made him hoarse it seemed. It wasn't the first time Kakashi had seen something like it. It was only the first time he had seen one so young go through it.

Kakashi knew that no matter what he said things wouldn't just be okay. He could only hope that it would be enough to keep him above the sea of emotions he was going through at least long enough for a Yamanaka to get a look at him. They knew how to help people. Sasuke would still need to let whatever person then assigned to him in though. Kakashi had no idea how he would do that. He would have to explain what happened again, an easy way to live through what had happened again and again. Kakashi still had trouble talking about his father's death so he doubted Sasuke could be much better than him. The Yamanaka could just try to view the memories themselves but that would just do more damage to Sasuke's mind.

It was essentially a lose-lose situation. Kakashi honestly had no idea on what to do. The full weight of what he had done. What he had allowed to happen hit him again. The ANBU who thought himself hardened to tragedy felt his eyes water as the hell Sasuke had to be going through came to his mind. The hell he had helped create even if it was by inaction.

"I'm sorry Sasuke." The thought vocalized itself into words before Kakashi could stop it. The words didn't seem to have any affect on the young Uchiha and Kakashi decided it was time to go. Staying in this place wasn't an option and neither was going back to the hospital.

"Look at me Sasuke." Kakashi spoke as he rose to his feet, still cradling the young Uchiha in his arms.

Sasuke slowly did so. Raising his tear streaked face to look at Kakashi's. His neck protested at the movement after the hours of being bent forward. His gifted eye locked with Sasuke's own the and Uchiha's head dropped forward again. The dreamless sleep that Kakashi had put him in would hopefully help him but Kakashi didn't have a benchmark for situations like this. Someone would no doubt say putting the child to sleep with a genjutsu was wrong but Kakashi knew it was the only way the boy could rest. Especially so soon after the trauma. The events would just keep replaying over and over again in his dreams if he hadn't done it.

His eyes took a look around the room before he set out. They stayed on the white tape longer than they should've before he broke them away from it. It didn't matter though. The image was still burned into his mind. He shook his head in an attempt to clear it.

"It's time to leave this place." Kakashi spoke to himself as well as the unconscious Sasuke.

The place was filled with memories Sasuke didn't need right now, as everything good was now replaced by the bad, and guilt Kakashi didn't want. He left the room and the house quickly, coming onto the streets with more white tape staining itself into his mind. It wasn't white tape though. Kakashi saw what he saw the night of the massacre. The night he submerged himself in the blood of innocents.

Again.

Kakashi could've used Shunshin to leave quicker but he needed to take the walk. Needed to remind himself of everything he had done as his own sort of penance for what he was now putting Sasuke through. The nightmares he would have. The seemingly innocent things that would bring up memories that only hurt now.

He needed this. Else he would forget what he had done. Forget what happens to everyone.

So he walked. He walked through the district to the entrance. Making sure he saw everything as he made his way to the entrance. His feet carried him and he carried a sleeping Sasuke out of it. It looked like the genjutsu had worked and Sauske was now in a dreamless sleep and Kakashi was happy for it. The boy didn't need any nightmares right now.

He came to the entrance and the guards on duty looked surprised at his reemergence. His eye froze them in their tracks as they tried to salute and he guessed the boy in his arms didn't do anything to his aura.

"What are your names?" He spoke in a voice that would've made ANBU shudder.

"Izumo."

"Kotetsu."

"Neither of you saw me or him. If anyone asks you didn't see anything." He began walking away without looking back as he spoke again. "And don't let anyone else in or else I'll come and talk to you."

"Yes sir!" They spoke in unison and Kakashi vanished in a Shunshin towards the one place he could take Sasuke.

He just hoped it would help the boy somehow.

* * *

The Hatake home wasn't the happiest place in the village, a cemetery sometimes seemed better, but Kakashi knew it might give Sasuke some sense of normalcy after everything that had happened. Everything else the young boy knew had been ripped away from him and it would take the shinigami, kami, and every other deity in the world to make Kakashi take the boy back to the hospital. Not until he talked to the staff. He would limit the pain Sasuke went through as much as possible or he would die trying.

Then the world would have to deal with an undead Kakashi hellbent on his self assigned eternal mission.

Kakashi held Sasuke with one hand as he opened and closed the door to his family home with the other. The same hand was quickly brought to his mouth and then slammed against the door frame. Several of his ninken appeared in a puff of smoke and gave curious stares at the child in Kakashi's arms.

"What's with the pup boss?" Pakkun asked, always the voice of any group of ninken he summoned. He sniffed the air and titled his head. "Doesn't smell like you so can't be yours." Pakkun sniffed again. "Smells more like that Uchiha kid who hung out with you for a while."

"It's his brother." Kakashi simply supplied.

"Hmm." Pakkun raised an eyebrow, Kakashi not questioning how the dog did it. "You know the summoning world's been buzzing with some news lately. Lot of summons saying that their summoner died. All Uchiha too." the pug's eyes tracked Kakashi as he took Sasuke to the couch and laid him on it for the time being. "Mind shedding some light on this for me boss?"

"That's," Kakashi pointed to Sasuke. "half of the living Uchiha clan."

The dog's eyes went wide as he looked to Kakashi for any sign of deception in his summoner and at the nod he received to the Uchiha child. He lowered his head and slowly shook it as the gravity of what he learned hit him.

"What the hell wiped out a whole clan boss? Is there a war going on? Was this a preemptive strike? That clan had more than 500 members and you're telling me it was just wiped out. Was it some new plague or something? That Orochimaru guy come back and take revenge on them raiding his labs? He's capable of something like that, maybe." More and possibilities were running through the small ninken's head as he tried to wrap his head around the tragedy the massacre was and what could've caused it.

He never would've guessed the right one even if he had till the end of the world.

"It was his brother." Kakashi nodded to Sasuke and the pug laid down, covering his head with his paws as an involuntary shudder went through him. "Itachi did it all in one night." another shudder went through the summons and Kakashi winced at the obvious discomfort they were feeling.

"Dont tell me..."

"I didn't summon you to track him. Trail is cold anyway."

"Well why do you have the kid?" the summons relaxed and Pakkun made his way over to the couch, placing his front paws on the cushion near Sasuke's head to look at the Uchiha.

"Figured someone needed to take care of him." Kakashi's hands found their way into his pockets and he came over to stand by the couch.

"Taking in strays now?" Pakkun asked.

"Trying not to make a habit of it." Kakashi's eyes focused on Sasuke's sleeping form and the steady rise and fall of his chest, his sleep looked peaceful still. "You guys mind watching him for me, making sure he's okay while I'm gone for a few hours. I'll leave a few clones here to clean up so just pop one if you need me."

"We'll take care of him boss." the ninken had surrounded the couch and Sasuke. "Just go and get the pup some actual food. And some new clothes. These stink."

"Alright boss." Kakashi shared a smile with his ninken and did a mock salute before heading towards his room to change.

He absentmindedly made a few shadow clones on the way even as he took off his ANBU gear, the same gear he had been in for more than 48 hours now. He quickly changed into a more standard Jonin attire and reemerged to find the ninken laying on various pieces of his furniture.

"Well I'm off." Kakashi said as he stood by the door and Pakkun sat by the door frame.

"See you soon boss."

"It won't take me more than a few hours."

"We're ready to wait a few days just in case. You never know with you."

"Black cats hate me."

"Just call us. We'll run 'em off."

Kakashi left the house quickly and moved to the rooftops to reach the market faster.

* * *

Kakashi kept his word and was back in only a couple of hours, a rarity for him. Besides a small visit to the memorial stone he stayed focused on his task and didn't waste his time. The moment he opened the door, the heads of all of the ninken sprang up from where they had been laying down and turned towards him. He swear he saw shock go over their faces before they quickly shook their head and stood back up, stretching as they did so.

Pakkun hopped down from where he had been laying next to Sasuke and made his way over to where Kakashi stood with several bags. He had already dropped off the food for a shadow clone to put away and handed the others bags to another as Pakkun neared him.

"Can't say we were expecting you back so quick boss." Pakkun let out a yawn as he stretched in front of Kakashi.

"Seems like you all were being lazy." Kakashi said with a look around the room.

"That's rich coming from you boss." Pakkun said, looking at one of the nearly half dozen shadow clones Kakashi had working.

"How has he been?"

"Out like a light. Must've been exhausted."

"Thanks Pakkun."

"No problem boss." the ninken began disappearing in puffs of smoke until the pug was the last one left. "Don't be afraid to all us if the kid or you need anything."

"I'll keep you in mind." Kakashi gave the summon a 2 finger salute. "Later Pakkun."

"Later boss." the last ninken vanished from his home and Kakashi noted the way the atmosphere seemed to change.

Maybe it was weird that his house only felt like a home when it was filled with dogs.

He'd have to work on changing that.

Now though he would wait for Sasuke to wake up as his shadow clones began dispelling one by one. He absentmindedly pulled out his book, staring at it but not truly reading the words. He had about a days worth of memories to sort through and organize now. It was the only thing he could find himself doing until Sasuke woke up.

* * *

 **AN: Well the chapter started out dark and then got lighter. Felt like it was needed. Also I liked writing Pakkun and Kakashi. Sasuke and Kakashi have a lot more stuff to go through though. Life's never easy and those two seem like tragedy magnets. Hope you enjoyed it.**

 **Questions, comments, concerns? Drop a review or PM me.**


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